Heavy duty shipping tray

ABSTRACT

A load-bearing heavy-duty shipping tray is provided which is light in weight, but yet which is rugged in its construction, and which is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads. The shipping tray of the invention may be stacked with other similar shipping trays to be stored in a minimum of space when not in use. The tray is constructed to be capable of supporting heavy loads without sagging or damage. The tray includes a pair of base runners formed of metal strips, and which are affixed to the bottom edges of respective series of upright rectangular shaped pedestal members extending along each side of the tray.

[ July 22,1975

1 1 HEAVY DUTY SHIPPING TRAY [75] Inventor: Ervin W. Miller, Huntington Beach,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Banner Metals Division lntercole Automation, Inc., Compton, Calif.

22 Filed: Mar. 4, 1974 211 App]. No.: 447,820

3,826,205 7/1974 Weiss l08/5l FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 95l,339 3/1964 United Kingdom 108/51 Primary ExaminerRoy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marquette Attorney, Agent, or Firm-.lessup & Beecher [57] ABSTRACT A load-bearing heavy-duty shipping tray is provided which is light in weight, but yet which is rugged in its construction, and which is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads. The shipping tray of the invention may be stacked with other similar shipping trays to be stored in a minimum of space when not in use. The tray is constructed to be capable of supporting heavy loads without sagging or damage. The tray includes a pair of base runners formed of metal strips, and which are affixed to the bottom edges of respective series of upright rectangular shaped pedestal members extending along each side of the tray.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 22 ms SHEET HEAVY DUTY SHIPPING TRAY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most prior art shipping trays and pallets are made of wood and, although usually inexpensive, the wooden trays are easily broken. The wooden trays of the prior art, moreover, are difficult to clean, and they are relatively heavy. Light weight wire-formed pallets are also known to the art. The shipping tray of the present invention is an improved type of wire-formed tray which is capable of supporting heavy loads without sagging, and in a stable manner. Moreover, the shipping tray of the invention is easy to clean, and this may be accomplished, for example, by means of a detergent spray.

A similar type of shipping tray is described in US. Pat. No. 3,756,167 which issued Sept. 4, 1973 in the name of James D. Wilson, and which is assigned to the present assignee. The shipping tray described in the patent is constructed of metal wire rods and metallic strips. The wire rods form the load-bearing deck for the shipping tray described in the patent, and the deck is supported on appropriate wire-formed pedestals. In the tray described in the patent, a pair of metal strips are affixed to the bottom edges of the pedestals, and these strips extend from one end of the tray to the other to form a wide-tread load-supporting frame for the tray.

The tray of the present invention, as mentioned above, is of the same general type described in the patent. However, the tray of the present invention is constructed in a manner different from the tray of the patent. so as to be capable of supporting heavier loads than is possible with the prior art tray. The improved tray of the invention is particularly useful in warehouses, or the like, for storing or handling goods. In that respect, the tray of the invention is constructed to handle relatively heavy loads without any tendency for it to break or sag. Also, the tray of the invention is constructed so that it may conveniently be handled by lift trucks or pallet trucks, whose forks may extend freely into the sides of the shipping tray without any tendency to damage the tray, or its load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sections taken along the lines 22 and 3-3 respectively of the view of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The heavy duty load-bearing shipping tray illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a peripheral rim member which has an L-shaped cross-section, and which provides an inwardly-extending lip portion around the tray, as well as an upwardly-extending lip portion. A plurality of wire rods 12 are welded, or otherwise affixed to the inwardly-extending lip portion of the rim member 10, and these wire rods extend from one end of the tray to the other in spaced parallel relationship to form a deck for the tray.

A plurality of elongated transverse deck-support members 14 are welded, or otherwise affixed to the underside of the inwardly-extending lip portion of the rim l0, and these deck support members extend transversely across the tray, and under the wire rods 12, in spaced parallel relationship along the tray. The deck support members 14 have a V-shaped cross-section.

A first plurality of rectangular-shaped upright pedestal members 16 are mounted along one side of the tray under the rim 10, with each of the upright members extending in a transverse direction, as shown, and with 5 the pedestal members being mounted in spaced and parallel relationship. A similar plurality of rectangular upright pedestal members 16 are mounted along the other side of the tray. A pair of elongated metal strips 18 are welded, or otherwise affixed to the bottom edges of each series of upright support members 16 so as to constitute base runners for the tray.

An elongated strip guard member 20 is attached to the outer sides of the support members 16 of the first plurality, directly under the rim 10. This strip member forms a guard to permit the forks of a lift truck, or the like, to extend into the tray between the upright members 16, without damage to the tray or to its load. A similar guard member may be mounted on the opposite side of the tray.

The various components of the tray of the invention may be formed, for example, of high-strength low-alloy steel, so that the tray may be relatively light, and yet of a rigid and sturdy construction. The various components of the tray, as indicated above, are welded to one another to form a rigid and unitary construction, and a structure which is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads.

It will be appreciated that although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the claims to cover the modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A load-bearing shipping tray comprising: a peripheral rim member having an L-shaped cross-section with an inwardly-extending lip portion and an upwardlyextending lip portion; a plurality of wire rods fixed to said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim member and extending from one end of the tray to the other in spaced parallel relationship to form a deck for the tray; a plurality of elongated deck support members affixed to said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim member and extending from one side of the tray to the other in spaced parallel relationship under said wire rods; a first plurality of transversely-extending rectangularly shaped upright members affixed to the underside of said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim and positioned in spaced parallel relationship under said rim along a first side of the tray; a second plurality of transversely-extending rectangular shaped upright members affixed to the underside of said inwardly extending lip portion of said rim member and positioned in spaced parallel relationship under said rim member along the second side of the tray; a first strip member affixed to the bottom edges of the upright members of said first plurality and extending along said first side of the tray as a first base runner displaced down from the plane of said deck and parallel thereto; and a second strip member affixed to the bottom edges of the upright members of said second plurality and extending along the second side of the tray as a second base runner displaced down from the plane of said deck and parallel thereto.

2. The load bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, and which includes a guard member attached to the underside of said rim and extending along the first side of the tray adjacent the outer edges of said upright members of said first plurality. v

3. The load-bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, in which said rim member, said rectangular shaped upin which said elongated deck support members have a right members and said first and second strip members V-shaped cross-section. are formed of high-strength low-alloy steel.

4. The load-bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, 

1. A load-bearing shipping tray comprising: a peripheral rim member having an L-shaped cross-section with an inwardlyextending lip portion and an upwardly-extending lip portion; a plurality of wire rods fixed to said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim member and extending from one end of the tray to the other in spaced parallel relationship to form a deck for the tray; a plurality of elongated deck support members affixed to said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim member and extending from one side of the tray to the other in spaced parallel relationship under said wire rods; a first plurality of transversely-extending rectangularly shaped upright members affixed to the underside of said inwardly-extending lip portion of said rim and positioned in spaced parallel relationship under said rim along a first side of the tray; a second plurality of transversely-extending rectangular shaped upright members affixed to the underside of said inwardly extending lip portion of said rim member and positioned in spaced parallel relationship under said rim member along the second side of the tray; a first strip member affixed to the bottom edges of the upright members of said first plurality and extending along said first side of the tray as a first base runner displaced down from the plane of said deck and parallel thereto; and a second strip member affixed to the bottom edges of the upright members of said second plurality and extending along the second side of the tray as a second base runner displaced down from the plane of said deck and parallel thereto.
 2. The load bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, and which includes a guard member attached to the underside of said rim and extending along the first side of the tray adjaCent the outer edges of said upright members of said first plurality.
 3. The load-bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, in which said elongated deck support members have a V-shaped cross-section.
 4. The load-bearing shipping tray defined in claim 1, in which said rim member, said rectangular shaped upright members and said first and second strip members are formed of high-strength low-alloy steel. 